Breasts are sagging after weaning

by Anne Smith, IBCLC

Ask Anne…

Question: I breastfed my little boy for 18 months. I stopped two months ago, and now my breasts are sagging. They feel smaller, and are soft and droopy. Will the firmness return, and how long will it take?

Answer: Pregnancy is what changes the shape of your breasts, and these changes occur whether you nurse or not.

Just look at the breasts of a woman who has had several formula fed children – sagging, stretchmarks, etc. The skin stretches as the glandular tissue develops before your baby is born, and after you stop nursing (or even if you never breastfeed and the milk just dries up) then the breasts will have a tendency to sag.

Age also changes the shape of your breasts. Even women who never had children at all will experience some sagging. Everything sags as you get older and your tissue gets less elastic.

Your breasts will never look quite like they did before you had a baby, but this isn’t due to breastfeeding.